South Knoxville Residence Closed after Multiple Overdoses

Prosecutors and investigators on the Drug Related Death Task Force have closed a residence in South Knoxville that has been the scene of several overdoses including three overdose deaths in the last three years. 342 Avenue B was closed today by order of Judge Kyle Hixson under the state nuisance law.

According to a petition filed by General Allen, the residence has been the scene of dozens of calls for service within the past three years. Most of those calls have been related to drug overdoses. In some of those overdose calls, first responders were able to revive the overdose victim with the use of naloxone, but in three calls, the victim died as a result of the overdose. Knoxville Police Department investigators assigned to the Drug Related Death Task Force were able to uncover that the victims overdosed on combinations of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxymorphone. In addition to overdose calls, the residence has been the scene of a home invasion and shots-fired calls. Neighbors do not feel safe because of the criminal activity occurring at this residence. In short, the residence operates as a haven for criminal activity, is known in the area as such, and is a continued threat to this community. The residence needs to be closed before another victim overdoses on the property.

This nuisance injunction marks the fifty-ninth closure by the District Attorney’s Office and Knoxville Police Department in their ongoing collaboration to make neighborhoods safer from the activities that affect the safety and quality of life of residents in this community.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.